Tag: Christian Book Review

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 Healing Your Marriage When Trust Is Broken Finding Forgiveness and Restoration (UPDATED & EXPANDED) | Cindy Beall – Book Review

Book Information

Title: Healing Your Marriage When Trust Is Broken Finding Forgiveness and Restoration (UPDATED & EXPANDED)

Author: Cindy Beall

Publisher: Harvest House Publishers

ISBN:  9780736984720

Book Review

Healing Your Marriage When Trust Is Broken by Cindy Beall was originally written many years ago and has now been updated and expanded. I love that message is the same throughout this book, you can trust God through the betrayal you are feeling. Cindy talks about the deep betrayal of her husband’s pornography addiction that later led to her husband, who happened to be a pastor, to have a baby with a mistress. She explains the process of the initial grief and the redeeming work of God’s hand in their marriage.

I love that this book is filled with authenticity and vulnerability. Cindy is not shy about the hard work it takes to be committed to marriage. The Beall’s testimony is an example of what is possible with God and a servanthood marriage after devastation. Their marriage is a work of God and what it means that He exchanges beauty for ashes.

Overall, Healing Your Marriage When Your Trust is Broken is a unique book that can help guide hurting marriages back to the healer Himself. The only downside to parts of the book are there is uses of “get over it” and “move on” that could be hurtful to those who are just learning of their spouses betrayal. You can see Cindy’s heart throughout the book is not the same language that is conveyed overall. The strongest parts of the book are the questions that were asked to other couples that had also endured broken trust. To have a variety of backgrounds and different scenarios reaches a greater audience.

Overall, Healing Your Marriage When Trust Is Broken (Updated & Expanded) has very helpful tools for those who are just beginning to walk in their healing journey and marriages 10 years in alike. I do recommend this book to spouses who are hurting after marriage betrayal. I do advise those reading to continue you reading past the hard to hear parts of this book. It seems Cindy’s heart is one who sympathizes deeply with those who have been hurt. However, at different parts of the book it can be taken as someone who is telling you to just get over it or there is no hope for the couples who don’t have a spouse as willing to work at marriage recovery. I encourage you if you continue to read, you will see that her heart is to help.

Bottom line, this book is a reminder that you are not alone, marriage restoration is possible, and God is trustworthy, no matter where you are in your recovery journey.

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When To Walk Away: Finding Freedom From Toxic People (Book Review)

Book Information

Title: When To Walk Away: Finding Freedom From Toxic People

Author: Gary Thomas

Publisher: Zondervan

ISBN:  0310346762

Book Review

              Gary Thomas’ When To Walk Away: Finding Freedom From Toxic People is nothing short of lifechanging. As a Christian, many of us have unintentionally believed a lie that walking away can be “not Christ-like”. Throughout the 240 pages of wisdom Thomas displays scripturally sound examples of not only when Jesus walked away but why it is important that we have the wisdom to know when to walk away. I loved the emphasis on how toxic people can often times be a distraction. At times, Thomas explains, we can even feel guilty because we are not able to help those toxic people into the kingdom of God. He so elegantly explains that sometimes staying within the toxicity is more selfish because it takes your energy and places it in the wrong place.

Throughout the book Gary Thomas goes through a variety of topics such as, Working With Judas, Toxic Parents, Kids, Marriages, and even how we can be toxic to ourselves. The Appendix is filled with 41 examples of scripture of when Jesus walked away from people who were toxic. Wisdom and experience is found through each chapter. Gary Thomas used his old ways of people pleasing as lessons to advance the Kingdom of God!

I cannot put enough emphasis on how EVERYONE needs to read this book. My life experience in this fallen world has given me plenty of experience with toxic people. This book gave me the wisdom of how to walk away when necessary and not feel guilty, knowing Jesus walked away at times because he was kingdom focused. A highlighter ran out by the time I finished this book. If you are someone who struggles with walking away from people because it feels “unchrist-like”, get a copy of When To Walk Away: Finding Freedom From Toxic People. I will be reading this again and again. There is too much wisdom to just read this book once.

Of course, this book has made it to my favorites shelf, and I give a 5/5 stars! Get yourself a copy! (No this is not sponsored; it is just that good!)

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For All Who Wander, Robin Dance (Book Review)

Book Information:

Title: For All Who Wander-Why Knowing God Is Better Than Knowing It All

Author: Robin Dance

Publisher: B&H Publishing

ISBN: 9781433643088

Price: $16.99 (B&H Publishing Website)

Study Guide Information:

  • ISBN: 9781535979849
  • Price: $9.99 (B&H Publishing Website)

For All Who Wander, written by Robin Dance an (in)courage author is targeted at specific audience and I believe that this is key to enjoying this book to its full capacity. The book is mainly about moving from a place of checking off the boxes of religion and growing into a personal relationship with Jesus Christ. I also had the study guide, that went along with each chapter of For All Who Wander. Both were generously provided by B&H Publishers for this review.

This book for me, was less about wandering and more about actually finding out who God the Father, Jesus Christ the Son, and the Holy Spirit actually are outside of religion and through a personal relationship. I believe Robin Dance’s words and the Word Of God have the capacity to challenge those who have grown up in church and think they know God to transitioning into really knowing him. As Robin Dance said throughout the book, she was one of those Christian’s that had to do this. She talks about a couple interesting subjects such as testimony envy and her college life friends that ultimately brought her to a relationship with Jesus. Topics that I believe are important and necessary but are targeted at a specific audience.

When I read the description of the book I was led to believe this was going to be a book that was going to be about unbelief in the sense of someone going through suffering and needing help to stand in faith. However, the unbelief Dance was talking about was no longer going through the Sunday school motions and into an intimate relationship with Jesus. She does touch on suffering but as I said, I do not feel that I was the targeted audience that this book is meant for.

Overall, I believe this book is very well written for what and who the book actually pertains to. It is not only through the blood of the lamb, but the power of our testimony. Robin Dance vulnerably shares with you how she went from a place of religion to a beautiful relationship with God. The only critiques I have are for the description of the book itself and in the study guide there should be more practical applications. There was one “resolve” that called me to plant an herb garden. The motive behind why she wanted you to plant the herb garden was beautiful. However, it just was not practical. For this I would give For All Who Wander, 3 starts out of 5. I would recommend this book to anyone who grew up in church or feels like they are just going through the motions of Christianity. Like Robin Dance displays throughout the pages, Jesus wants to take you deeper into a relationship with him! This book and of course the Word Of God is a great place to start!

Thank You:

A huge thank you for generously supplying both For All Who Wander and the Study guide straight to my mailbox. The quality of the books sent is always superb. Thank you for the opportunity to share many books with the audience here at Let Love Be My Motive. Also a huge congratulations to Robin Dance in her endevour of publishing this book. I know that you are going to be planting seeds to transform the hearts of many.

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Moving Beyond Anxiety: 12 Practical Strategies To Renew Your Mind-David Chadwick (Book Review)

Book Information

  • Title: Moving Beyond Anxiety: 12 Practical Strategies To Renew Your Mind
  • Author: David Chadwick
  • Publisher: Harvest House Publishers
  • Publishing Date: April 21st 2020

Book Review

Moving Beyond Anxiety is a biblical and practical way to move from anxiety and into the inheritance of peace that the Lord has left us with. I do enjoy the practical ways that are displayed throughout the pages. However, the writing style of Chadwick was quite choppy. It felt drawn out rather than enticing. I think the guts of this book are great. Anxiety is something that God has not called us to live with and I’m glad to see the church rising up! I do think that references to scripture when explaining the examples would strengthen the overall feel of Moving Beyond Anxiety. I also think the writing style, instead of choppy. short. sentences., you can also add emphasis to your points with emotionally captivating words! As I said, I love the guts of the book. I was, however, not a fan of the style in which it was written. Overall, I give this book 3/5 stars.

A big thank you to Harvest House Publishing for the advanced copy before it is published in April. As well as David Chadwick for opening up about the much needed topic of anxiety. I look forward to seeing where the Lord leads you.